Persuasive Essay Against Death Penalty

The death penalty disproportionately targets minorities especially African Americans. In the United States of America there is an unequal and unfair burden against African Americans in the criminal justice system. In 2011, African Americans were only 13.6% of the American population (Rastogi, Johnson, Hoeffel, & Drewery, 2011). However, African Americans in 2011 made up 42% of the total death row population (Snell, 2011). Although a minority of the total population in the United States, African Americans make the majority of inmates on death row facing execution. Furthermore, the death penalty in many states is used as tool that following the racial legacy of Jim Crow laws. Sentences resulting in death are higher in states with a history of lynching (Schweizer 92). States with a history of lynching are predominately found in the Southern United states. The Southern United states has the highest population of death row inmates. In 2009 alone there were 1,630 inmates currently on death row in the South compared to 226 in the North and only 988 in the West (Schweizer 92). In addition, the race of the victim often will determine the sentence. Results from the Baldus Study suggested evidence of racial disparity in the state of Georgia based on the victims race (Schweizer 92). The Baldus study argued African American defendants who committed murdered white individuals had much higher probability of receiving the death penalty. Prosecutors in Georgia pursued a verdict of death in 80% of their cases if the defendant was African American and the victim was white (Schweizer 92). This is purely racial discrimination and prejudice. Finally, “Since 1977, the overwhelming majority (77%) off death row defendants have been executed for killing white victims, even though African Americans make up about half of all homicide victims (Amnesty International).”The race of the both the victim and perpetrator in criminal is irrelevant.

The “Does the death penalty bring closure to a victim’s family?” article shares how this family believes that the death penalty does not necessarily bring closure, but it brought relief. I feel that providing two different perspectives will cause the audience to be open to my findings and have questions that I will later address in the paper. At the end of the introduction, I will share my ethos on the topic. While I do not have a lot of ethos I can share that I, like the readers, want to understand the topic more as I am now a tax payer and if the U.S. should still use this form of

As far back as one can look into human civilization, justice for a murder victim has always been by taking the life of the killer. In today’s society capital punishment is needed to defend it from further harm, bring justice and/or vengeance to the victims of the loved ones, and encourage psychological deterrence. As of today, there are thirty-two states which offer the only just punishment for a crime without parallel and eighteen states having abolished the death penalty.

More than two centuries ago, the death penalty was commonplace in the United States, but today it is becoming increasingly rare. In the article “Should the Death Penalty Be Abolished?”, Diann Rust-Tierney argues that it should be abolished, and Joshua Marquis argues that it should not be abolished. Although the death penalty is prone to error and discrimination, the death penalty should not be abolished because several studies show that the death penalty has a clear deterrent effect, and we need capital punishment for those certain cases in which a killer is beyond redemption.

Arthur Shawcross, who was one of New York’s most ruthless serial killers, illustrated the importance of capital punishment. In 1973, Shawcross was first convicted of brutal rape and murder of two children in upstate New York. At that time, the death penalty had been declared unconstitutional, and Shawcross was only sentenced to prison. After serving only 15 years in prison for his punishment, he was paroled in 1988. Shawcross took 11 more lives in just a 21-month killing spree after his release (Pataki).

Thousands of people will attack the death penalty. They will give emotional speeches about the one innocent man or woman who might accidentally get an execution sentence. However, all of these people are forgetting one crucial element. They are forgetting the thousands of victims who die every year by the hands of heartless murderers. There are more murderers out there than people who are wrongly convicted, and that is what we must remember.

However satisfying vengeance may seem, a civilized society cannot accept an eye-for-an- eye, tooth-for-a-tooth delivery of justice. Although some families and loved ones of murder victims approve the death penalty, many others are against it. Further, some family members of homicide victims comment that the death penalty process prolongs their pain, and only serves to make their healing more elusive. Financial and emotional support is what they need most, not more violence. In the words of the father of one murder victim, "Violence is not an acceptable method of solving the problems that arise in our daily lives.... The use of the death penalty only lowers the standards of government to the

George W. Busch once said, “I support the death penalty because I believe, if administered swiftly and justly, capital punishment is a deterrent against future violence and will save other innocent lives”. Now you need to ask yourself why you are for or against this issue, and how it affects the world. I think that they should take away the death penalty it is costly and can be delayed. The problem is the cost to the United State of having the death penalty, the cause of it costing so much is the delays of people on death row and keeping them there, and the solution to this is eliminating the death penalty or making it a swifter way to execution.

Since the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the death penalty in 1976, there have been 1,434 executions in the United States (Death Penalty Information Center). Today, a debate quickly erupts when discussing the death penalty as a form of punishment in America’s Criminal Justice system. Some perceive the Death Penalty as an act of justice, while others believe it is unconstitutional. There are currently 31 death penalty states and 19 non-death penalty states in the U.S. Although opponents view this type of punishment to be immoral, unconstitutional and ineffective, the death penalty has proven to be ethically correct, cost effective, and deterrent to murder.

(Slide 1) Capital punishment, or as most of you know it as, the death penalty, has been used for centuries for the violation of rules and laws in society's. But it's use is nearly to at an end in the modern world. England's last death sentence was done on the 13th of August 1964 against Peter Anthony Allen, Australia's done the 3rd of February 1967 on Ronald Ryan and New Zealand’s last was Walter Bolton, 18 February 1957. The era of the death penalty is coming to an end. (Slide 2) Most of the country's in the world have realized that problems can't be solved by a gun to the head or a poison that runs through your bloodstream. 1 third is left, which includes the United States.

The death of a loved one is always traumatic, whether it is by natural causes or murder. In the case of execution, the majority of victims are deserving criminals. However, a disgustingly large percentage of victims of execution in the United States are later found innocent and exonerated from death row. For the state, this is a minute matter; for the families of the accused and the accused themselves, this realization is excruciatingly late. Although it may bring back their dignity, it will never bring back their heartbeat. The use of the death penalty for alleged criminals in the United States needs to change because there is an unacceptable number of posthumous exonerations, and a negative generational impact

According to Deathpenaltyinfo.org, as of July 1st, 2017 there were approximately 2,817 prisoners on death row. CNN.com says that, as of now, the death penalty is only legal in 31 out of the 50 states. Did you know that the average death row inmate will spend roughly 15 years in prison before they meet their final day; nearly a quarter of death row inmates die of natural causes while waiting for execution, and exhausting all of their appeals? How about that in Virginia death row inmates are now able to play games, watch TV, send emails, and have physical contact with visitors along with much more? Death row is for criminals that have committed heinous crimes and have been convicted by 12 unanimous jurors to death. So, why give them that many privileges?

Since 1976 until now, 1,460 people have been executed by the death penalty. The death penalty ended many people’s lives. People question whether it is all worth it. But the real question is, is the death penalty constitutional? Many over the years have asked this question and been debated and still is debated today, in everyday conversation and in courts. Though, when the Constitution is analyzed one can understand that the death penalty is constitutional.

The death penalty is a prosecute that is used to kill criminals that have committed crimes that are so bad they should not be left alive. The idea of putting another human to death is hard to completely fathom. The physical mechanics involved in the act of execution are easy to grasp, but the emotions involved in carrying out a death sentence on another person, regardless of how much they deserve it, is beyond my understanding. Knowing that it must be painful, dehumanizing, and sickening. The Eight Amendment says” Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted” (Constitutions). And for the article Changing Views on\\e rate has gone down at a steady from the 1990 to now and that they death penalty is sometimes necessary, and it is our responsibility as a society to see that it is done.

Since 1973, 144 people that were on death row have be executed. The supporters of the death penalty believe that by executing “the worst of the worst” will decrease crime, provide substantial punishments, and promote happiness and safety throughout the country. Supporters are trying to find solutions to legalize the death penalty in the United States that is not considered cruel and unusual punishment, while still providing justice for the victims and their families. “Most of the arguments against the death penalty; those of inherent unfairness and bias towards the poor or racial minorities or the devastating potential for mistaken execution are both fallacious and misleading” (Anderson 2016).